Zim stood at the edge of the windshield, staring out at the ominous red planet they were approaching.

Home. He thought. Zim hadn't seen his home planet since he was but a young smeet. Ready to conquer. Ready to destroy. Ready to prove himself. Although the planet itself was barely visible. It was littered with enormous space stations and satellites and was surrounded by defensive turrets that circled the planet in perpendicular rings. Surrounding it all was Irk's main defensive system, millions of little, silver orbs netted the entire planet. As the Vortian ship approached, he saw the orbs begin to spin and connect with each other, closing the planet in a pink field, blocking their entrance to the docking station. Zim scowled. He had expected this, but he was running out of time. Zim flattened his antennae when he heard little footsteps approach.

"They'll contact us soon."

"Did you do as I asked?" Zim snapped.

"Yes. The halls are clear, they're still resting."

"Good." Zim turned and climbed the levels to the control panel. Soon, the screen materialized with a message ping, gate security was hailing them. Zim bowed his head, keeping his antennae flat. He took a deep breath, and opened the coms. When the call connected he grinned, seeing a proud smaller standing at-the-ready for transmissions to be accepted.

"Identify yourself." They snapped, boldly. Zim cocked his head, feeling a rush of pride in his own superiority. This smaller was pitifully short, really it was insulting to have to speak to it.

"I am Food Service Drone Zim." Zim stepped forward, the smaller drone gasped in shock.

"Zim! Like, the Zim?" The drone shook his head, wildly. "You can't be here! You were banished to Foodcourtia!"

"Smaller." Zim chided. "I demand you let me dock."

The drone's antennae dropped, he stuttered and began to yell again. "Y-you have no right! Explain the Vortian ship!"

"I have commandeered the ship of the resistance group that led the attack on the Massive and murdered Tallest Purple."

The drone's jaw dropped. He took a step back, and began to look around. He ran off screen. Zim tapped his foot, his antennae flicked, impatiently. He would only have to hope that no one in gate security would be taller than him to oppose his entrance. His greatest asset in infiltrating the Great Measuring, was that every taller that could stand in his way would be kept busy. The smaller returned with a taller, luckily, still miserably short. They tucked their hands behind their back. Their antennae were flat against its head and its blue eyes glared from above their high collar.

"Irken Zim." It barked. "Explain yourself."

"I have no need to explain myself to you, smaller. I am here to attend The Great Measuring." Zim ordered into the screen.

"Tallests Red and Purple banished you to Foodcourtia! You have no right to attend!"

"Red and Purple are dead." Zim growled. "And I have the resistance leader of the assassins who killed them in custody."

"Prove it!"

"You. Will. Let. Me. DOCK!" Zim boomed, slamming his fist down on the panel. "You are bound to obey anyone taller than you! By the will of the Control Brains, you will obey ZIM!"

The taller fell silent. It glared at him a moment before clicking its tongue and waving a hand. The call ended and the screen disappeared. The pink shield around Irk disintegrated away, allowing the Vortian ship to pass. Zim flicked his antennae again and turned down to Skoodge.

"Get them out here."

Skoodge nodded and bounded away out the sliding doors. Zim's antennae propped up when he heard a quiet groan from behind him.

"Wha-?"

He snapped around to see Lard Nar sitting up off the floor, holding his head.

"Where...?" He opened his eyes and looked around, stopping at the windshield. He blinked and began to quake as the color drained from his face. "Where."

He sat up off the floor and held himself up on the glass door, staring out with wide, unbelieving eyes. Zim began to walk toward him.

"Is that what I think it is?!?" Lard Nar yelled, hyperventilating. He looked up at Zim and began to point. "What have you DONE?"

"Pfft." Zim turned away. "Haven't you been paying attention?"

"WHY ARE WE HERE?"

"You're going to help me become the next Tallest. Just like we agreed."

"You can't be serious!" Lard Nar backed away. "We're going to Irk. After what we did? You killed a Tallest!!!"

Zim waved his hand, dismissively. "Irk is under martial law, and nobody knows it was me. According to the empire, the assassin is still out there somewhere."

"And you're sure nobody would have been able to witness you?"

Scared, purple eyes flashed through Zim's mind, he turned away and folded his arms.

"No one important enough."

"No. No, no, no! I don't like this!" Lard Nar grabbed onto his horns, with panic written all over his face. "They're gonna kill us! You have to turn back!"

"I don't take orders from you, goat. I never did."

"But we're the Resisty! We're renegades! They'll recognize our ship!"

Zim rolled his eyes. "I doubt you'll be recognized. You were never a real threat, even during the raids."

Lard Nar stared up at Zim for a moment with a look of overwhelming frustration, then waved his arms around, frantically. "You're INSANE! You're gonna get us all killed! You might as well shoot me out now!"

Zim raised a claw to the button.

"NO! NONONOnononononono. M-maybe this will work. You seem to know what you're doing!" He chuckled, nervously, and Zim dropped his hand again, smiling.

"I'm glad you've decided to trust me. Because you'll be joining me when we speak to security." Lard Nar's jaw dropped, his eye began to twitch and he fell to his knees. Zim raised an antenna, expectantly.

"GREAT!" Lard Nar stammered, folding into the fetal position on the floor. "Sounds great! Go team Zim!"

Zim curled his lip and huffed, turning away from the whimpering Vortian just as Skoodge entered with the crew, already prepped and ready for a fight. They all wore the same terrified expression as Lard Nar when they saw Irk approaching quickly in the windshield.

"Spleenk!" Zim snapped, making him jump. "We've already been granted entrance. Park the ship in the loading dock."

"You already spoke with security?" The hooded female chimed in as Spleenk manned the controls.

"Yes, and they are expecting us in the station."

"What did you tell them?" She stepped forward, glaring harder at him, he matched her cold stare and leaned forward.

"I got us in." He spit. "Isn't that what's important?"

Skoodge cleared his throat, diverting attention out the windshield as the ship approached the docking station. "You'll want to head for that opening there in the ring."

Zim propped himself up and turned away from the female, tucking his hands behind his back and walking toward Lard Nar, still cowering in his chamber.

"Nyah?" Mini moose asked, hopeful.

"You did a great job, Mini-moose." Zim consoled. "We're leaving now." He slammed his fist on the button to open his glass cage, glaring down at him as he slowly rose from the floor. Lard Nar stepped out and walked at Zim's feet, clearly still panicked. Zim looked back at the Resisty, then at Skoodge.

"Skoodge. Where's GIR? We're leaving."

"Oh, he's- WATCH IT!" Skoodge shouted at Spleenk. Suddenly the whole ship shook, as it grinded against the walls of the open port station.

Zim lost his balance and stumbled, giving the blue-eyed female an opening. She lunged for Zim, reaching for Lard Nar while wielding a blue wisp of a weapon. Zim snapped back, grabbed Lard Nar by his horn and swung him around as he dodged the female's slashes. He opened his PAK, shielding himself and his captive as she shrieked her war fury at him, her weapon clanged against his metal legs while Lard Nar screamed as he was yanked around.

"ENOUGH!"

The female stopped and glared. The rest of the crew backed away from Zim and the captain, while Skoodge ran to his side. Lard Nar whimpered and began to sweat as the sharp piercing end of Zim's metal leg scratched at his throat.

"You wouldn't dare." She hissed.

"WOULDN'T I?" Zim shouted back, making all but the hooded female flinch.

"Call her off, Vortian." Zim growled at him. "You wouldn't want to compromise our deal."

"L-Lorterra!" Lard Nar stammered. "Stand down!"

"Sir!" She snapped. "With all due respect, you are not in a position to convince me he can be trusted!"

"It's under control!"

"I suggest you listen to the Vortian, slorch. You're causing more trouble than you're worth."

"He's up to something! I know he is!" She yelled, only gripping her weapon harder.

"And are you willing to risk your species to pursue such a ridiculous accusation?" Zim snapped, moving his piercing leg away from Lard Nar. "I still have full intention of upholding my end of the deal, but none of you are of any further use to me and your insubordination only thins my patience. Drop your weapon or the goat dies."

The hooded female continued glaring, still not convinced. Zim threatened Lard Nar with the end of his leg again. After a short stare down, she dropped her blade. Zim straightened his back and recoiled his PAK legs, still holding onto Lard Nar's horn. He looked around the room at each scowling face and smirked.

"I suppose the courtesy of appreciation is in order. However, due to your repeated insolence, it shall be withheld. Regardless, you've all been of great use to me and when I become Tallest, you will be rewarded."

Zim backed away with Lard Nar still in hand as Skoodge and Mini-moose followed.

Zim walked out with a squirming Lard Nar in his hand and his little party trailing close behind. A security team was waiting for them, armed with guns and electric staffs, as Zim and Skoodge made their way down the catwalk.

"Lower your weapons!" Zim snapped. The team looked to their respective taller, the taller from the call, who nodded. They lowered their weapons, Zim grinned internally, he could get used to this. He raised Lard Nar in front of him for show.

"Here's your captain." He sneered as he threw Lard Nar into the group of smaller drones. Lard Nar's confusion didn't last long as he was tackled to the ground, the smallers scrambled to cuff and detain him as he thrashed.

"What's going on, Zim!?!" Lard Nar yelled.

"Silence!" A drone snapped, jabbing him with the spear, electrocuting him. He screamed and thrashed again, earning another quick jab. The taller bent down to examine him.

"And you're sure this is the one?"

"I'm afraid so." Zim held a hand over his chest and nodded, insincerely. "You see, I was captured by this resistance group during my trial on the Massive. They thought I was one of the Tallests."

He turned to gesture to the ship. "You'll recognize this as the ship that caused such catastrophic damage to our beloved vessel. You see the scarring on the hull?"

"So these are the renegade slaves that raided the Massive, and killed the Tallests?"

"WHAT?" Lard Nar shouted in disbelief, and was zapped again.

"It's true!" Skoodge stepped forward, looking equally sad. "Read my data! I was the Tallest's Table-Headed Service Drone! I was there when they attacked."

Skoodge held his hand over his head, dramatically. "It was horrible. Oh, my Tallests!" Zim flicked his antennae and fought not to strike him.

"Nyah!" Mini-moose chimed in, the taller drone nodded his head in light of the moose's case. Zim smiled.

"Yes, their deed has been done. I only wish I could've done more for our fearless leaders."

"So how did you get them here?"

"These slaves were gullible enough to believe I had gone rogue since my trial." Zim flattened his antennae. "With my superior strategic skills and my charismatic nature I was able to gain their trust, overthrow their captain and commandeer their ship."

"BUT YOU-AHHHHHHH!" Lard Nar thrashed against the ground as the three of the smaller drones struck him with their electro-spears.

"The rest of its crew waits, unsuspecting, inside the ship." Zim stepped toward the taller, glaring down at it. "There is no need to thank me, avenging Red and Purple is its own reward. Now I am here to attend the Great Measuring, as is my height given right."

The taller eyed Zim carefully, then turned to its drones keeping Lard Nar down on the ground, zapping him with their spears. Mini-moose, sensing his hesitancy, floated into the drones face.

"Nyah!" He added.

"I see. Then you have done the empire a great service." The taller straightened, wiggling their antennae. "We will send drones in to detain the renegade slaves. Our next Tallest will decide their fate."

Zim smiled.

"Z-ZIM!" Lard Nar tried again. "It's not TR-AHHH!"

"Silence, Vortian." Zim snapped, tucking his hands behind his back. The taller stepped aside and ushered more drones in to regroup. Two stood in front of Zim and saluted, his antennae propped up and he smirked. He turned back toward the taller drone.

"Smaller." He called, the drone turned to salute him as well. "My SIR unit is still in that ship. Retrieve him for me as well."

"Yes, sir." The drone wiggled his antennae and continued barking commands at the smallers as they readied their weapons to flood the ship.

"This way to our teleporters." Zim's drones spoke up and began walking away. Zim turned down to share a look with Skoodge, they nodded to each other as Zim left to follow the drones. Mini-moose stayed behind, but spun upside down to wish him luck.

Zim kept a steady pace, as steady as he could maintain following smallers, with their teeny tiny legs, to their security gate station. When they reached the building, one of the smallers placed their hand on the door censor, and it slid open. They turned down a hallway that opened up into their teleporter room. Zim's antennae buzzed. It had been a long time since he's seen familiar Irken technology. Earth was in such a primitive state, it was always such a chore to have to walk everywhere.

"The Great Measuring is being held on Surface Quadrant 3, Area 13 in The Brain Dome, where the Control Brains have gathered-."

"Yes, fine, I get it." Zim snapped down at the smaller and placed his hand onto the screen panel on the wall beside him. The panel scanned him in and opened up the hologram of the planet. He zoomed in on the map and tilted it around, searching through his available options. The closest teleporter to the The Brain Dome was also, conveniently, right outside the building. He selected the teleporter ping and stepped back. The machine reanimated and began to glow pink.

Zim felt a terrible knot in his spooch as he stepped into the glowing pink light. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to disintegrate. Feeling every molecule of his body shell break away, and wishing for a moment that he would not regenerate.

But as Zim opened his eyes he felt the weight of his body again. He straightened his antennae and stepped out of the teleporter, looking up at the enormous, shiny, black dome before him. This was The Brain Dome. Where the Control Brains were kept. Tallers and smallers alike were not allowed to enter the dome, this was a place where the Tallest and the Brains would gather to strategize. It was a great honor to enter the building. This is where the Great Measuring was being held, and as Zim walked toward the blackened dome, he could feel his fear dispelling from his body.

He would enter this building. But would he emerge?

Zim stepped up to the sliding doors of the dome and pressed his hand against the gel pad. The gel encased his hand, he could feel the electricity pulse through his arm and down his back, reading his data.

The door broke away and he removed his hand from the gel as it slid open. Zim bowed his head and entered the building.